Description
Making homemade pie crust is easier than you might think! This recipe creates a buttery, flaky, tender crust that works beautifully for sweet and savory pies. With a few simple ingredients and enough chilling time, you can make a delicious pie crust from scratch for all your favorite recipes.
Ingredients
- 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 20 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (2½ sticks), cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 6 tablespoons ice water
- 1 teaspoon cold apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Add 1⅔ cups flour and the sea salt to a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine.
- Spread the cold butter pieces over the flour mixture. Pulse until the butter is incorporated and the mixture forms clumps without any dry flour remaining.
- Add the remaining 1 cup flour and pulse briefly until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl. Sprinkle the ice water and apple cider vinegar over the mixture.
- Use a spatula to fold and press the mixture until it forms a dough.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a 1-inch-thick disk.
- Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Place one chilled disk on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a circle about ⅛ inch thick, rotating the dough as you work to prevent sticking.
- Transfer the rolled dough to a pie plate using your rolling pin. Gently press it into the bottom and sides of the plate.
- Trim the edges, leaving approximately ½ inch of overhang. Cover loosely and refrigerate while preparing the top crust.
- Roll out the second disk in the same way if your recipe requires a double crust.
- Fill, assemble, and bake according to your chosen pie recipe.
Notes
- For serving: Use this crust for apple pie, pumpkin pie, cherry pie, pecan pie, chicken pot pie, and other sweet or savory favorites.
- Keep ingredients cold: Cold butter and ice water help create a flaky texture.
- Avoid overworking: Handle the dough gently to prevent a tough crust.
- Refrigerator storage: Keep wrapped dough disks refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Freezer storage: Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality.
- Thawing: Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
- Make ahead: Prepare the dough in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble your pie.
- Prevent sticking: Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin, using only enough flour to handle the dough comfortably.